City of Reno - Demo First, Get Funding Later

What is it with the City of Reno’s “Gang of Seven” and the former Community Assistance Center (CAC) buildings on Record Street. Are they embarrassed that the building was allowed to fall into decay on their watch? Well, frankly, they should be, but hey it is only taxpayer money, so they don’t care. Are they afraid they will haunted by the memory of former Mayor Bob Cashell after allowing the buildings to fall into ruins. They should be, Cashell was proud to open the CAC in 2008.

Local homeless advocate, Lily Baran, has brought great ideas forward for these spaces to help homeless women and children, but no matter how good the idea the Reno City Council just don’t listen.

Now the city has found a way to basically put the cart before the horse. Picon ponders why all these city employees who are paid by taxpayers, find ways to aid the gang and forget about the citizens paying their wages and transparancy. We all got to sit through the meeting on August 14, 2024, with three companies competing and Ulysses Development Group, LLC, was selected to build 136 units of affordable housing.

Jaedyn Young at the Reno Gazette Journal reported on September 25, 2024, “The developers are also required to apply for a demolition permit to take down the two buildings. The demolition must be complete six months after the deal is closed in 2025.”

But, hey, pump the breaks folks and now the City of Reno is going to demolish the property not Ulysses Development Group? Jackie Bryant when did that happen? Who decided to change the demolition to the city? Aren’t city employees working for residents or just the council? We’re not sure Ulysses Development Group has the funding yet to build.

The City of Reno has used their allocated amount of Private Activity Bond Volume Cap for the year. Ulysses Development Group will need to apply for the funding from the State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry.  As The Barber Brief points out, “Perhaps this is considered a slam dunk. But it still means that the City could demolish the structures well in advance of any new construction. And I would hope that if we’ve learned anything when it comes to development in Reno, it’s that you should never count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

From Agenda Item B.16 Reno City Council - January 22, 2025.

Both of these agenda items are on Consent, so unless a “trying to be transparent” Reno City Councilmember has the gumption of pulling them off for discussion they will be approved with a single vote.

We need residents calling the city out on this.

1. Why is city government going into the demolition business, and razing the buildings before Ulysses has secured funding from the Department of Business and Industry (Ulysses will pay the city back for the cost of the demolition).

2. What does the city know that we don’t know? There has to be a reason the City of Reno is in such a hurry to pull these buildings down.

3. What if the buildings are demolished, and Ulysses doesn’t get the funding? Taxpayers own a vacant lot. Or does the City of Reno have another option waiting in the wings if Ulysses doesn’t get funded. Picon always enjoys a good conspiracy.